There are three aspects of the flesh that resist God the most.
1) The wisdom of the flesh
2) The strength of the flesh
3) The vain glory of the flesh
If these three aspects of self have not been dealt with – crucified – we will not be able to do much for the Lord. The qualification to do something for God does not lie in your ability, or the wiring of your brain, or your zeal to work for God – only in your love for God, and your total dependence on God alone!!!!! He is looking for someone who have experienced the death of the cross for themselves.
God is not impressed with the confidence you have in yourself, and your abilities.
Philippians 3 vs 3 says: For we [Christians] are the true circumcision, who worship God in sprit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances (Amplified Bible).
God can, and will, only use the strength and power of His Holy Spirit to accomplish His work... and how amazed I stand when I look at how God manifests His power and wisdom through the foolish and the week (1 Cor. 1:27 - 28 and 15:42-43).
To preach the cross without having experienced the Cross, and the Spirit of the Cross (Holy Spirit), and also the life of the Cross (resurrection life) – is to preach doctrine and not life.
The sad part is that a spiritually poor person doesn’t recognise his poverty. One who is nothing at all, will confess his nothingness; therefore God can easily be found in the nothingness. Aldo once answered a man at a church who asked him, “How do I get the fullness of God?”.... he said, “Sir, less of you and more of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:14:
But the natural, nonspiritual man, does not accept into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Sprit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is incapable of knowing them because they are spiritually discerned.
He who is spiritual poor has difficulty in meeting Him, because spiritual poverty is closely related to blindness. How I praise God for His grace... Yesterday I was blind but today I can see!
We just need to lay down our lives, and have a hunger for God and love God with all your heart soul and spirit... not only going to God so that He can change our situations, but rather that He can change us!
People want the abundant life – that is not to have the biggest car, house, or bank account. Abundant life, is a mature life in Christ – with or without the rest. It is to live in oneness with God in the realm of the spirit.
There is a battle raging between spirit and flesh. You have to live from the spirit – not the flesh.
I was in Namibia last week, and during a break, I went down on my knees in my room and spoke to Aldo’s spirit-man.
“Aldo, I speak to your spirit in the name of Jesus – turn your spirit (face) towards God. Look into His eyes – that is where healing takes place, when you behold Him....” I went on and spoke the Word of God into his spirit.
When I came back, he wrote this in a letter to me:
Ma’am, will you always speak to my spirit-man. I can hear it, and I will keep my face turned towards God. There is fire in His eyes.
How amazing is the spiritual realm!
I also had the privilege of facilitating a marriage ceremony this weekend. It is beautiful to see a bride waiting for her bridegroom, with a lamp full of oil.
God is God, and He wants us to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
May God bless your spirit.
Retha